this post was submitted on 23 Oct 2024

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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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431

Phoronix: Linus Torvalds Comments On The Russian Linux Maintainers Being Delisted (www.phoronix.com)

submitted 2 months ago by kixik@lemmy.ml to c/linux@lemmy.ml

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[–] savvywolf@pawb.social 126 points 2 months ago (3 children)

Huh. Lot of people Russian' to conclusions in this thread.

Sorry.

[–] Gloomy@mander.xyz 64 points 2 months ago

Shhh. Let Linus Finnish.

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[–] rtxn@lemmy.world 93 points 2 months ago (3 children)

The comments under the article are a special kind of braindead.

[–] TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world 70 points 2 months ago (4 children)

Always is with Phoronix comments.

You find everything there from "Gnome is satanist" all the way up to pro-genocide crap.

I really don't know what it is about the site that brings out the craziest souch.

[–] SquirtleHermit@lemmy.world 39 points 2 months ago (8 children)

For half a second there, I was like "yeah, so glad Lemmy is more rational than that site".

Few comments later, folks be talking about "Ukranian Nazis"...

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[–] Aatube@kbin.melroy.org 45 points 2 months ago

Yeah. Why is everyone saying this is removing their contribution credits? It's just a list of active maintainers...

[–] custard_swollower@lemmy.world 26 points 2 months ago (1 children)

This is not an unusual comment section on Phoronix, to put it mildly.

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[–] electric_nan@lemmy.ml 80 points 2 months ago (5 children)

Banning Israeli contributers too?

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[–] jol@discuss.tchncs.de 72 points 2 months ago (7 children)

Linus has never been the best communicator, but he usually speaks the truth. But this is just bonkers and wrong. Not everyone living in Russia has "ties with Russia" other than "they were born there". If this is about sanctions, he could have still just told them that. But instead he just disrespected contributors completely and then double down in it by being xenophobic.

[–] Jumuta@sh.itjust.works 37 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (4 children)

It's really disappointing seeing Russian contributors being disrespected like this, the regime that rules Russia wasn't entirely their fault, and allegiance, nationality, and ethnicity are all clearly different things

Also, wouldn't a state sponsored Russian hacker pretend to be from the US or something anyway? No way they'd contribute code as a Russian, that'd just increase others' suspicion

I agree with Linus a lot too but I strongly disagree here. I hope he's just being made to say this because of government policies

[–] jol@discuss.tchncs.de 34 points 2 months ago

And the most dangerous part here is the whole rethoric of "if you disagree, you are a Russian shill".

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[–] Goun@lemmy.ml 30 points 2 months ago (2 children)

I don't understand how sanctions can impact free software, tbh, what's free about this? This leaves a weird taste, I have to admit.

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[–] ouch@lemmy.world 67 points 2 months ago (3 children)

As a finn, I understand that there are probably legal reasons for doing this.

I just wish they would be transparent and share those reasons with us. The Linux kernel is certainly not the only free software project that is impacted, if this comes straight from EU/US sanctions. Maintainers of other projects have a lot of interest in what is happening.

Transparency is also important because if EU/US policy/sanctions are causing issues for free software projects, then that discussion needs to be public, so that there is a chance to amend the policies if necessary.

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[–] umbrella@lemmy.ml 65 points 2 months ago (10 children)

so are we okay with banning development time donated to foss because of nationality?

are these people found to support heinous shit or is this just wartime shenanigans?

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[–] Alsephina@lemmy.ml 55 points 2 months ago (3 children)

Free as in... obeys US foreign policy

[–] hitwright@lemmy.world 23 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I'm pretty sure not just the US wants Russia sanctioned to the oblivion. All of the Europe that borders Russia wants that. Now why would it be like that?

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[–] Arcturus@lemmy.dbzer0.com 51 points 2 months ago (3 children)

We're gonna start seeing large open source communities start to break into smaller ones because of sanctions from now aren't we?

[–] GhiLA@sh.itjust.works 81 points 2 months ago (4 children)

You don't need sanctions. I've seen you petty fucks fork projects over a font.

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[–] Alsephina@lemmy.ml 21 points 2 months ago (2 children)

This sets such a bad precedent...

[–] Vilian@lemmy.ca 39 points 2 months ago (1 children)

The bad precedent was starting a war

[–] Alsephina@lemmy.ml 23 points 2 months ago (12 children)

Yeah I'm sure the maintainers are in talks with Putin directly

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[–] communism@lemmy.ml 47 points 2 months ago (16 children)

Everyone who disagrees with me is a paid russian troll of course. Nobody would oppose blacklisting people based on nothing but their nationality unless they were getting paid for it.

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[–] Arelin@lemmy.zip 45 points 2 months ago (3 children)

He's gonna ban american and "israeli" maintainers too then, I guess?

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[–] Aatube@kbin.melroy.org 34 points 2 months ago (25 children)

Some old folk are reminded of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Export_of_cryptography_from_the_United_States

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[–] pierre_delecto@hexbear.net 31 points 2 months ago

Wow, some real clown behavior from Linus.

[–] menemen@lemmy.ml 30 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Man, I wish he'd leave the communication to someone else. He is so, so bad at it. And this isn't the first time

The way he attacks critics puts himself in a bad light. But much more importantly, I read this and am still unsure if he has administrative/legal reason, security reasons or political reasons...

If I'd work in Russian propaganda, I'd love this so much. Hope this will not cause disruption in the community.

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[–] sunzu2@thebrainbin.org 27 points 2 months ago (132 children)

Is there a specific reason for this?

[–] kattfisk@lemmy.dbzer0.com 72 points 2 months ago (5 children)

Yes, the sanctions against Russia, as mentioned by Linus. The change also said the maintainers "can come back in the future if sufficient documentation is provided".

My guess is that the Linux Foundation must ensure that none of the people they work with are in any way associated with any organisation, person or activity on the sanctions list. And that they preemptively removed all maintainers that might risk violating the sanctions while they work with them to establish whether they might be covered by the sanctions or not.

Regardless of what you or they think of the sanctions, they are the law, and I don't think anyone wants the Linux Foundation to have to spend their money on lawyers and fines because they had a maintainer who also worked on a research project funded by a sanctioned entity. (If that is how it works, IANAL)

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[–] seaQueue@lemmy.world 54 points 2 months ago (9 children)

Compliance with sanctions from the US and EU IIRC

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[–] Mihies@programming.dev 23 points 2 months ago (8 children)

I'd really like to see the criteria for delisting people, though. As Russia is not the only one waging wars, there are worse countries out there. I guess it all boils down to Linus being from Finland.

[–] Alsephina@lemmy.ml 23 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Yeah the kernel might end up being forked if this shit keeps going. Sanctions affecting open source software like this was not something I expected...

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[–] NauticalNoodle@lemmy.ml 23 points 2 months ago (1 children)

He alludes to sanctions being a factor but never clarifies on advice from his lawyers. ngl I don't like the look of it just from a transparency perspective.

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[–] blame@hexbear.net 22 points 2 months ago

the comments on the article started off pretty good but pretty quickly devolved into a cancerous combination of NAFO and Hasbara.

[–] forgotmylastusername@lemmy.ml 22 points 2 months ago

Shit like this is why I use the most generic yankee cowboy aliases online.

[–] RubicTopaz@lemmy.world 21 points 2 months ago

Shame to see this shit from torvalds

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